Ars Nova Ars Antiga Ars Subtilior treble-dominated style treble cantus Madrigal Ritornello Chase Caccia Isorhthm talea color hocket
French Polyphonic Chanson Italian Secular Polyphony Isorhythmic Motet Form Fixes Virelais Rondeau Ballade Madrigal Ritornello Chase Caccia
Guillaume Machaunt Francesco Landini Philp di Vitry
Ars Nova (New Art 1310's-1370)
The French musical style started by Philp di Vitry Inovations of Ars Nova style (Described by Jehan des Murs Theorist)
Rhythmic Characteristics 1) Duple - (impersfect) division of beat within not values 2) Minims - division of semi brev into minims This allowed duple meters and increased rhythic flexability and syncopation 3) Mensuration signs – Precursures of modern time signatures
Ars Antiga – The writing style of the 13th century. Jaques de Liege (Flemish) defended
Compositional Devises
1)Isorhythm – Tenor is laid out in log complex segments of identical rhythm compared to practice in 13th century. Tenor is very slow (Grout 121). Two reccuring elements of Motet Tenors in 14th century isorhythmic motets. Talea – The repeating rhythmic unit Color – The recurring segment of melody The elements can be the same length, beginning and ending together but commonly the color may extent over two or three talea. Additionally the Color can repeat in te middle of a Talea. Upper vioces may be organized isorhythmicaly in whole or part to emphasise recuring parts in the tenor (Grout 121). (Take note 122-123)
2) Hocket – A compositional technique in which two vioces alternate in rapid succession. Each resting when the other is active. Hockets are used in 13th century conductus and motes in in the 14th century. HarmonyMore frequent use of imperfect consonances in French and Italian music.3rds 6ths resolving to perfect consonances. Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377) The leading composer of the French Ars Nova period. A composer of sacred and secular works. He was the first composer to compile his complete works. (More pg126-130) Machaut was highly regarded in his life and several decades after his death. He is importance to modern scholars is largely because he had so many works preserved in hi name. 23 Motets- 20 are Isorhythmic based on tenors from chant. 3 are secular. In a characteristic consistant with 14th century composers, Machaunt's motets are longer and more rhythmicly complex than 13th century motets and often include hockets and isorhythmic passages in the upper vioces. (Grout p127)Mass – Messe de Nostre Dame (Mass of our Lady) is one of the earliest poly[phonic settings of the Mass Ordinary. It is believed to be the first poyphonic mass written by a single composer. (Grout p128) All 6 movements are treated as one composition and built developed in a similar style with recurring motives. The first three mvts tonal center is d the second three are F (More p 129)Songs – Written in the trouver Tradition deal generaly with love themes.15 areMonophonic and 4 are polyphonic. (What is Lais? Sequence? In 14th century French songs)Monophonic SongsVirelais – was a popular genre one of the three form fixes. The text and music have fixed patterns of repetition including a refrain. Typical Virelai have 3 stanzas A bba Abba Abba A. (A = refrain , b = musical phrase) (more p130)Polyphonic SongsChansons – (French Songs) were written in a treble-dominated style. The pricipal line is in the upper vioce carrying the text, called the treble (cantus). It is supported by a slower moving tenor without text. In this two vioce framework one or two untexted vioces are added. 1) a Contra Tenor in the same range as the Tenor is added and sometimes a triplum in the treble range. (more p131)(not used for dancing)(I need clarification on Chanson. Are forms Fixed all Chansons or is Chanson a song form?) Forms Fixed – Are derived from dance musicVirelais – Love ThemesRondeau – Love themes Like the ballade and virelais rondeau have the refrain but have only 1 stanza. The refrain is in two sections and includes all the music. (Aba AabAB) Capital letters signify the refrain and lower case letters signify new text set to music from coresponding section. (more p132)Ballade – Use more serious subject used in phylosophical or historical subjects. They are made up of 3 stanzas each sung to the same music ending with the same line of poetry. (aab) Two couplets sung to the same music followed by contrasting music. (p132) Machaut wrote ballads in 2-4 parts typicaly for high male vioce and instruments or lower vioces without text.(What are couplets?)
The late 14th century
Ars Subtilior
(The more subtle manner)
The papal court of Avignon was one of the main patrons od secular music in the later 14th century. Composers principaly wrote polyphonic ballades, rondeaux and virelais. Songs were written primarily for the Elite class. Composers extended and refined the practices established by their predesesors. Some of the music is much more complex than prior generations. Music can be polyrhthmic, highly syncapated and harmonicaly vague due to rhthmic disjunction. This style of polyphonic writing was only popular for about one generation. (More p133-135)
Italian Trecento Music
Generally Italian music in this period was an aural tradition. It permeated all of Italian social life. The only written manuscripts known are from the lauda repertory. Church polyphany was generaly improvised by a solist in a discant style, over written notes of chant, or by an organist adding a line of counterpiont above the chant while alternating phrases of the Mass Ordinary with a chior singing plainchant. (Grout p135). The largest body of Italian secular ployphonic song are a body of work written for the wealthy centered in central and norther Italy (Bologna, Padua, Modena, Milan, Perugia, and Florence). (More p135-136)
14th Century Madrigal
Is a song for two to three vioces without instrumental accompianament. All voices sing the same text. The subject matter is commonly a love theme, pastoral, or satirical. Madrigals have two or more three line stanzas set to the same music followed by the same closing lines (a ritornello It: refrain), set to different music with a different meter. One difference to Ars Nova is that he two voices are generaly equal. The stanzas last syllable is accented with a long florid melisma in the upper vioce. This is characteristic of the italian style. (Grout p136) *Do not confuse with 16thcentury madrigal
Caccia
The caccia (1345-1370) is an Italian equivalent of the French chace. (Both terms mean to hunt.) It is a strict cannon in two voices at the unison. The difference between its French and Spanish counter parts is that it has a free untexted tenor in slowe motion below. Another feature of cacces are ritornellos which do not have to be cannonic. (Grout p136)(More see p136-137)
Ballata
The ballat became poplular later than the caccia and madrigal. Many examples show influence from French-chanson style. Most surviving manuscripts date from 1365 and later. Form AbbaA. A represa is sung before and after a stanza consisting of two pedi (feet), couplets sung to the same musical phrase, and the volta, the closing lines of the text, sung to the same musc as the ripresa. (Grout p138)
Francesco Landini The leading composer of Ballata was Francesco Landini (1325-1397). He wrote 140 ballate, 89 for two vioces, 42 for three and nine are in two and three part versions. (Grout p138) Landinis music is genelarly smoother in contour than Machaut. His music features many sonorities containing 3rds and 6ths within phrases moving by step, sycopated rhythms. Itailan style features melismas on the first and penultimate syllables of poetic line. Another feature of Landinis music is the “under third cadence” (Landini cadence) in which the tenro decends a step and skips up a third. It is acutualy commonly used in French and Italian music during this time.
French Influence in Italian Music 14thCentury Performance
(p 140-141) Musica Ficta
Musica ficta (feigned music) was a set of rules designed to raise or lower notes a semitone. Common practice F# and Bb to avoid tritones in melody, create a smoother melodic line avoid tritones in lower voices. Music ficta was comonly used in cadences (More p143 144)
Terms
Song Forms and Genres
Composers
Ars Antiga
Ars Subtilior
treble-dominated style
treble
cantus
Madrigal
Ritornello
Chase
Caccia
Isorhthm
talea
color
hocket
Italian Secular Polyphony
Isorhythmic Motet
Form Fixes
Virelais
Rondeau
Ballade
Madrigal
Ritornello
Chase
Caccia
Francesco Landini
Philp di Vitry
Ars Nova (New Art 1310's-1370)
The French musical style started by Philp di VitryInovations of Ars Nova style (Described by Jehan des Murs Theorist)
Rhythmic Characteristics
1) Duple - (impersfect) division of beat within not values
2) Minims - division of semi brev into minims
This allowed duple meters and increased rhythic flexability and syncopation
3) Mensuration signs – Precursures of modern time signatures
Ars Antiga – The writing style of the 13th century. Jaques de Liege (Flemish) defended
Compositional Devises
1)Isorhythm – Tenor is laid out in log complex segments of identical rhythm compared to practice in 13th century. Tenor is very slow (Grout 121).Two reccuring elements of Motet Tenors in 14th century isorhythmic motets.
Talea – The repeating rhythmic unit
Color – The recurring segment of melody
The elements can be the same length, beginning and ending together but commonly the color may extent over two or three talea. Additionally the Color can repeat in te middle of a Talea. Upper vioces may be organized isorhythmicaly in whole or part to emphasise recuring parts in the tenor (Grout 121).
(Take note 122-123)
2) Hocket – A compositional technique in which two vioces alternate in rapid succession. Each resting when the other is active. Hockets are used in 13th century conductus and motes in in the 14th century.
HarmonyMore frequent use of imperfect consonances in French and Italian music.3rds 6ths resolving to perfect consonances.
Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377)
The leading composer of the French Ars Nova period. A composer of sacred and secular works. He was the first composer to compile his complete works. (More pg126-130) Machaut was highly regarded in his life and several decades after his death. He is importance to modern scholars is largely because he had so many works preserved in hi name.
23 Motets - 20 are Isorhythmic based on tenors from chant. 3 are secular. In a characteristic consistant with 14th century composers, Machaunt's motets are longer and more rhythmicly complex than 13th century motets and often include hockets and isorhythmic passages in the upper vioces. (Grout p127)Mass – Messe de Nostre Dame (Mass of our Lady) is one of the earliest poly[phonic settings of the Mass Ordinary. It is believed to be the first poyphonic mass written by a single composer. (Grout p128) All 6 movements are treated as one composition and built developed in a similar style with recurring motives. The first three mvts tonal center is d the second three are F (More p 129)Songs – Written in the trouver Tradition deal generaly with love themes.15 areMonophonic and 4 are polyphonic.
(What is Lais? Sequence? In 14th century French songs)Monophonic Songs Virelais – was a popular genre one of the three form fixes. The text and music have fixed patterns of repetition including a refrain. Typical Virelai have 3 stanzas A bba Abba Abba A. (A = refrain , b = musical phrase) (more p130)Polyphonic Songs Chansons – (French Songs) were written in a treble-dominated style. The pricipal line is in the upper vioce carrying the text, called the treble (cantus). It is supported by a slower moving tenor without text. In this two vioce framework one or two untexted vioces are added. 1) a Contra Tenor in the same range as the Tenor is added and sometimes a triplum in the treble range. (more p131)(not used for dancing)(I need clarification on Chanson. Are forms Fixed all Chansons or is Chanson a song form?)
Forms Fixed – Are derived from dance musicVirelais – Love ThemesRondeau – Love themes Like the ballade and virelais rondeau have the refrain but have only 1 stanza. The refrain is in two sections and includes all the music. (Aba AabAB) Capital letters signify the refrain and lower case letters signify new text set to music from coresponding section. (more p132)Ballade – Use more serious subject used in phylosophical or historical subjects. They are made up of 3 stanzas each sung to the same music ending with the same line of poetry. (aab) Two couplets sung to the same music followed by contrasting music. (p132) Machaut wrote ballads in 2-4 parts typicaly for high male vioce and instruments or lower vioces without text.(What are couplets?)
The late 14th century
Ars Subtilior
(The more subtle manner)The papal court of Avignon was one of the main patrons od secular music in the later 14th century. Composers principaly wrote polyphonic ballades, rondeaux and virelais. Songs were written primarily for the Elite class. Composers extended and refined the practices established by their predesesors. Some of the music is much more complex than prior generations. Music can be polyrhthmic, highly syncapated and harmonicaly vague due to rhthmic disjunction. This style of polyphonic writing was only popular for about one generation. (More p133-135)
Italian Trecento Music
Generally Italian music in this period was an aural tradition. It permeated all of Italian social life. The only written manuscripts known are from the lauda repertory. Church polyphany was generaly improvised by a solist in a discant style, over written notes of chant, or by an organist adding a line of counterpiont above the chant while alternating phrases of the Mass Ordinary with a chior singing plainchant. (Grout p135). The largest body of Italian secular ployphonic song are a body of work written for the wealthy centered in central and norther Italy (Bologna, Padua, Modena, Milan, Perugia, and Florence). (More p135-136)14th Century Madrigal
Is a song for two to three vioces without instrumental accompianament. All voices sing the same text. The subject matter is commonly a love theme, pastoral, or satirical. Madrigals have two or more three line stanzas set to the same music followed by the same closing lines (a ritornello It: refrain), set to different music with a different meter. One difference to Ars Nova is that he two voices are generaly equal. The stanzas last syllable is accented with a long florid melisma in the upper vioce. This is characteristic of the italian style. (Grout p136) *Do not confuse with 16th century madrigalCaccia
The caccia (1345-1370) is an Italian equivalent of the French chace. (Both terms mean to hunt.) It is a strict cannon in two voices at the unison. The difference between its French and Spanish counter parts is that it has a free untexted tenor in slowe motion below. Another feature of cacces are ritornellos which do not have to be cannonic. (Grout p136) (More see p136-137)Ballata
The ballat became poplular later than the caccia and madrigal. Many examples show influence from French-chanson style. Most surviving manuscripts date from 1365 and later. Form AbbaA. A represa is sung before and after a stanza consisting of two pedi (feet), couplets sung to the same musical phrase, and the volta, the closing lines of the text, sung to the same musc as the ripresa. (Grout p138)Francesco Landini The leading composer of Ballata was Francesco Landini (1325-1397). He wrote 140 ballate, 89 for two vioces, 42 for three and nine are in two and three part versions. (Grout p138) Landinis music is genelarly smoother in contour than Machaut. His music features many sonorities containing 3rds and 6ths within phrases moving by step, sycopated rhythms. Itailan style features melismas on the first and penultimate syllables of poetic line. Another feature of Landinis music is the “under third cadence” (Landini cadence) in which the tenro decends a step and skips up a third. It is acutualy commonly used in French and Italian music during this time.
French Influence in Italian Music14th Century Performance
(p 140-141)
Musica Ficta
Musica ficta (feigned music) was a set of rules designed to raise or lower notes a semitone. Common practice F# and Bb to avoid tritones in melody, create a smoother melodic line avoid tritones in lower voices. Music ficta was comonly used in cadences (More p143 144)